Oneshot Collection
by Diana E. Gray
Summary: A collection of my thoughts. Most occur during school daydreaming and will be spread out through my entire series. Hope you enjoy! Cover Art: Fanart by my good friend Mizuki-chan.
1. Chapter 1 Miss Invisible

**A/N: Early Days is finally here, only under a different name. I apologize for my long absense, but I am performing in "The Hobbit" this weekend and have been quite busy with rehearsals and such. I dashed this off in the pit when I was not onstage and am quickly posting this before I have to leave for another show! This is a songfic, the song is "Miss Invisible" by Marie Digby. I kind of hid the lyrics in here, but I hope you enjoy it. Ok, for this story I'll do a Q/A type thing, so ask me questions. Ask me lots of questions. But nothing too personal or I won't answer! :) Enjoy! Review! Have fun!**

**~Diana**

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><p><em>Time: Shortly before Madeline gets her job with Edgeworth<em>

Madeline sighed, running a hand through her long black hair, her eyes scanning the sea of college students before her, trying to find an empty place on the crowded quad. Nowhere jumped out at her, so she moved to her usual spot under the stairs, laughingly called the "the bleachers" by students because they were made of aluminum. Another sigh escaped her lips; just another day eating alone. An ironic smile painted her features; she just couldn't find a way to relate all that was hidden inside her. No one so much as glanced her way as they passed by. Unnoticed as always, she thought ruefully, pulling out books and notebooks, pretending to be busy. But inside she just wanted to cry. She opened her notebook and began to write, almost without paying attention.

_Take a look at the life of Miss Always Invisible_

_Look a little harder _

_I really, really want you to_

_Put yourself in her shoes_

_Take another look at the face of Miss Always Invisible_

_Look a little closer_

_And maybe you will see_

_Why she waits for the day_

_When you ask her her name_

Her mind drifted back to the first weeks of class. She'd done everything to try and fit in. But all of the other students had only seen her as what they'd seen in the news: parents killed in a car accident, sister murdered five years before. No one bothered to get to know her, preferring to stick to the known and the familiar. They couldn't see past the surface, the mismatched things that separated them. She closed her eyes and remembered that first day. She'd fallen down the stairs. The laughter and screams of her classmates had echoed down the stairs and in her head. She'd retreated into herself that day, retreated to where she is now. Her hand began outlining the words she had written, flowers and swirls appearing around the letters.

_Take a look at the life of Miss Always Invisible_

_Look a little harder _

_I really, really want you to_

_Put yourself in her shoes_

_Take another look at the face of Miss Always Invisible_

_Look a little closer_

_And maybe you will see_

_Why she waits for the day_

_When you ask her her name_

The bell rang, a harsh sound. She gathered up her books, closing the cover of the notebook and standing. Her next class was waiting

"The Prosecution rests, Your Honor," Madeline said, lifting her head proudly. The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Students lined the walls, their mouths forming perfect 'o's. She had just finished her closing argument for her mock trial class, and today she felt she had done particularly well.

"Th-thank you, Miss Brent," the professor (acting as judge) stammered as Madeline stepped down. She started to walk back to her seat, but another professor stopped her.

"Come with me, Miss Brent," he said quietly, leading her out the door of the mock courtroom. Countless pairs of eyes watched her leave, their gaze burning into her back until the large oak doors closed. The professor took her to his office, sitting down behind his desk. "As you may know, Miss Brent, Thanksgiving holidays are fast approaching." Madeline nodded, still a little confused. "Did you have any plans…with your family?" She chose not to respond, which caused the professor to look awkward. "Miss Brent?"

"No, sir," she replied.

"Good," he said, looking satisfied. "In that case…" He folded his hands and regarded her over them. "A famous prosecutor was watching your performance today. A high prosecutor, in fact. He'd like me to offer you an internship of sorts during the holidays."

Madeline's eyes glowed. This could be the chance she'd been waiting for. "Do you have any objections?" the professor asked, chuckling at his own lame pun. Madeline shook her head, still in a bit of a daze. "Excellent!" the professor said, standing. "I'll tell him right away and get you the information. You are dismissed, Miss Brent." She exited the office, unable to contain a grin, one of the first since her parents died. No longer was she Miss Invisible. She was taking her first steps into the light.


	2. Chapter 2 Pancakes

**A/N: Hey guys! With Changes finally finished, I've had time to think about my next project and have made some decisions. You can see it on my profile under Current Projects. Please go check it out, I'd really like to see if people think it's a good idea or not. If you do, I'll give you a cookie. :) **

**Anyway, for those of you who don't know, Madi's birthday was December 9th. I decided to write a birthday fic, so here it is, two days late. Should probably mention that I didn't think of the name Ben myself. Credit goes to purplepjs, I just thought it was a cute name. Speaking of purplepjs, this chapter is dedicated to him/her, because he/she was the only one to review my last chapter, and it was very encouraging. So thanks. Ok, enjoy and don't forget to review. I'll be taking suggestions!**

**~Diana**

**P.S. Almost forgot! Chapter also dedicated to Feyfangirl, as I believe her birthday was on the 8th or 9th as well. So happy belated birthday!**

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><p><em>Time: A few years after Eternal<em>

Edgeworth woke up early on the morning of December 9th. His eyes fell on his wife lying next to him, still peacefully sleeping, her hair a dark cloud around her face. He got up slowly, being careful not to make a sound. Despite his efforts, she stirred. "Miles, where're you going?" she asked, her voice dull with sleep.

"Nowhere," he said quickly. "Go back to sleep." She nodded sleepily and rolled over. He sighed in relief and continued down the hallway to his son's room. "Ben. Ben, wake up," he called, trying to disentangle his four-year-old son from his mass of blankets.

"What, Daddy, what?" the little boy said, popping up from his bed. Edgeworth had to laugh at his son. His gray eyes were bright and his black hair was rumpled from sleep. Madeline always said he looked like his father, but Edgeworth disagreed. Benjamin Edgeworth was the spitting image of his mother.

"Do you remember what today is?" he asked. The little boy's face crumpled in thought.

"Oh yeah, it's Mommy's bir'day, right?"

"Yes, and what are we going to do for her?"

"Um…we gonna make her breakfas', Daddy?"

"Yes, good," Edgeworth said, smiling. "Now, let's go to the kitchen. But we have to be quiet." Ben nodded seriously, then immediately ran off down the hall, his little feet pattering on the wood floor. Edgeworth followed at a slower pace, chuckling. When he arrived in the kitchen, his son was jumping around excitedly.

"What we gonna make for Mommy?" he asked.

"What do you think?"

"Pancake!" his son said happily.

"Alright."

"Daddy, is pancake s'posed to do that?"

Edgeworth groaned and removed the smoking pancake from the stove. Of his many skills, cooking wasn't one of them. The counters were littered with their failed attempts and Ben was as white as a ghost, due to a little misadventure with flour a few minutes before. _He definitely has his mother's spirit_, he thought ruefully as his son went for the flour again.

"What's going on out here?" came Madeline's voice. She stopped in the doorway, her eyes wide, taking in the scene. She collapsed into a chair, laughing, tears pouring from her eyes. "What are you two doing?" she asked.

"We were tryin' to make you breakfas', Mommy," Ben said, running over to his mother and clutching her leg. Edgeworth sighed, choosing not to say anything. She laughed, picking up Ben and putting him in her lap.

"How about this?" she said, looking her son in the eye. "I'll make the pancakes. And you two will never try to cook again."

"Ok!" Ben said, smiling and laughing in the adorable way that only a four-year-old can. Madeline got up, passing the little boy to his father. She worked her magic in the kitchen, making perfect pancakes in no time, and putting them on plates. As she started to put the plates on the table, Ben squirmed, and his father put him down. The little boy stumbled over to his mother and grabbed her leg again.

"No, Mommy! You have to go back to bed! We need to give you your breakfas' in bed!" She laughed as he pushed against her leg.

"Alright," she said, walking back down the hallway and disappearing into the master bedroom.

"Come on Daddy!" Ben said. Edgeworth picked up the plate of pancakes and a fork and followed his son down the hallway. "Here, Mommy!" he said excitedly. Edgeworth handed his wife the plate of pancakes and she winked at him.

"Thank you, Ben!" she said, smiling at her son. She patted the spot on the bed next to her and the boy jumped up, curling up beside her. He looked anxiously at her as she started to eat.

"Are they good, Mommy?" he asked hopefully. She laughed.

"Here, do you want some?" she said, handing him the fork. The four-year-old began eating with gusto. Edgeworth sat down on his wife's side of the bed, kissing her.

"Happy birthday, darling," he said. She smiled, looking at their son, who was still going to town on the pancakes. He silently reflected on how much the woman in front of him had taught him; she'd taught him how to be a parent, for god's sake.

"What?" she asked, catching his eye.

"Nothing, just thinking," he said.

"What we gonna do today, Mommy?" Ben asked. Madeline looked at Edgeworth.

"We don't have to work today, do we?"

"No," he replied.

"Then how about we go to Gatewater Land, Ben? I promised to take you before Christmas, didn't I?"

The little boy yelled in excitement and raced to his room to get dressed. Madeline sat back on her pillows, laughing. "Are you sure that was wise?" Edgeworth asked. "It is your birthday."

"My present is seeing him happy," she replied, getting up from the bed. "You'd better get dressed," she said, raising an eyebrow at him. Before she could leave, he wrapped his arms around her, kissing her again.

"Happy birthday, Madeline."


	3. Chapter 3 Merry Christmas, Darling

**A/N: Happy Christmas Break! Now that I'll have full time to dedicate to writing, I can do a Christmas special. Details are still pending, but it'll be good...hopefully. In the meantime, here's a short one-shot to one of my favorite Christmas songs! The song is _Merry Christmas, Darling_ by The Carpenters. I thought it would be a cute one-shot so I hope you guys agree. Today's chapter is dedicated to Lily, as today is her birthday. Make sure to review! Have a good weekend!**

**~Diana**

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><p>Madeline curled up on the couch, looking over her small apartment. A small Christmas tree with lights aglow stood in the corner and the fire crackled invitingly, soft Christmas music playing on the radio. It was late on Christmas Eve and sheeting rain was falling over L.A. Madeline sighed. Alone on Christmas again, she thought. Miles Edgeworth, her "boyfriend" (it still felt so strange saying that, even though they'd been dating for a little less than a year), had gone on a business trip to Borginia, refusing to let her come. "It's too dangerous," he'd said, not even telling her why he was going, only that it was for Interpol. <em>Damn Interpol<em>, she thought bitterly. _What about me?_ In her heart she knew she was being selfish, but she still clearly remembered the sick disappointment she'd felt at the phone call she'd received a few days ago.

"I can't leave," he'd told her. "My flight was canceled and it'll be impossible to get home, given the holidays." She'd put on a brave face, assured him that she'd be fine, that she'd find someone to be with on Christmas. And the truth was she had been invited by Phoenix and Maya to the office to celebrate, but she'd politely refused. She didn't really feel like partying. The cheery Christmas tunes on the radio stopped for a moment, replaced with a slow ballad.

_Greeting cards have all been sent _

_The Christmas rush is through _

_But I still have one wish to make _

_A special one for you _

_Merry Christmas, darling _

_We're apart, that's true _

_But I can dream and in my dreams _

_I'm Christmas-ing with you_

Madeline looked at the radio in slight surprise. What were the odds of the radio playing a song that she perfectly identified with? She got up as the song continued.

_Holidays are joyful _

_There's always something new _

_But every day's a holiday _

_When I'm near to you _

She lit a candle and moved to the window, looking out, her face illuminated with a golden glow.

_The lights on my tree _

_I wish you could see _

_I wish it every day _

_Logs on the fire _

_Fill me with desire _

_To see you and to say _

_That I wish you Merry Christmas _

_Happy New Year, too _

_I've just one wish _

_On this Christmas Eve _

_I wish I were with you _

A soft instrumental started and Madeline moved away from the window, blinking back tears. She walked around her apartment mindlessly, picking up things, putting them down, fiddling with them. When the interlude came to an end, she sang along as the last part of the song began to play.

_Logs on the fire _

_Fill me with desire _

_To see you and to say _

_That I wish you Merry Christmas _

_Happy New Year, too _

_I've just one wish _

_On this Christmas Eve _

_I wish I were with you _

_I wish I were with you _

The quiet piano continued as Madeline sat back down on the couch, looking blankly at the beautiful tree in front of her, lost in thought. There was a knock on the door and Madeline groaned. It was probably Maya, coming to check on her. She got up, hastily wiping the tears from her eyes and opening the door. There was a split second of silent surprise, then she threw herself into the person's arms. Miles Edgeworth caught her, a bemused expression on his face as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "You're here," she murmured, her head on his chest. He kissed her gently, bringing her eyes up to meet his.

"Merry Christmas, darling."


	4. Chapter 4 Coffee

**A/N: Well, I feel like I've been gone for a while, so here's a short one-shot before I start my SUPER MEGA AWESOME PROJECT (wow, the objection music literally just started playing on my iPod, how perfect is that?). For more details on that, see my profile. Just a cute idea I had, don't really know, hope you guys like it...? Dedicated to...hmm...all my readers! There, you're special, you had a chapter dedicated to you! Yes, that's right, YOU! So enjoy, and I'll see you soon with my new awesome project! Bye! **

**~Diana**

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><p>A wave of warmth enveloped Miles Edgeworth as he stepped through the door of the small coffee shop he'd agreed to meet her in. He looked around, but didn't see the young woman he was looking for. But that was to be expected; after all, he was a few minutes early. He quickly found a table and sat, keeping an eye on the door. He wasn't waiting long.<p>

A few minutes later, the door opened, the bell ringing with a cheery tinkle. Madeline walked through the door, her gray eyes sparkling as she caught sight of him. He stood as she wound her way between tables. Her cheeks were adorably pink from the cold and she was pulling off her gloves. He helped her with her coat and her cheeks flushed even darker. She grinned at him. "How have you been?"

"It's only been a week," he reminded her. She laughed and he couldn't keep a smile from his face. He took an opportunity to examine her again. Her black hair cascaded in a shimmering wave down her shoulders. She'd been wearing a black blazer, but it had been taken off to reveal a purple sweater and a scarf. Her eyes met his and her mouth quirked into another smile. "You…look well," he said, coughing.

"It's only been a week," she repeated, laughing again. She'd taken off for two weeks to go visit her aunt and the twins for Christmas, and staying with the girls while Danielle had her many surgeries. She was due to come back in a week, but he couldn't be away from her for that long. The waitress appeared and asked for their order. Madeline ordered a cappuccino and Edgeworth ordered tea. They made small talk, he asked about her aunt and she asked about work. Their drinks arrived, steaming hot, Madeline's covered in a mountain of whipped cream.

She cupped it in her hands, savoring the warmth, before lifting it to her lips. He followed suit, his eyes not leaving her face. They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, just enjoying their drinks. He noticed her little habits: how she crossed her arms as if she was cold, hands clutching her elbows, how she twirled a lock of hair around her finger, the cute way she wrinkled her nose when a dot of whipped cream got on it. She smiled, her soft gray eyes glowing. "It's been a long time since I've had such good coffee with such good company," she said teasingly.

"I can say the same," he replied. He raised his cup and she clinked her own to it, giggling.

At the table next to them, an old lady poked the old man sitting across from her. "Look, honey, aren't they just the cutest?" Madeline flushed and grinned before catching sight of her watch.

"Oh no, I have to get back! Aunt Dani has an appointment in an hour." She stood, grabbing her coat from where it was slung on the back of her chair. He stood and followed her out. She shivered and pulled her coat closer as they stepped outside, where a light rain was starting to fall. She turned to face him. "Thanks for meeting me," she said. He nodded.

"No, thank you." She couldn't hide a smile. He pulled her close and kissed her, hands entwining in the soft hair at the nape of her neck. Her lips tasted like coffee and although he had honestly never enjoyed the bitter taste of the dark brew, he had to admit that at this moment it was the sweetest and most delicious thing in the world.


	5. Chapter 5 Something Old

**A/N: Finally, something new! I apologize for my absence but school is picking up and so is rehearsal. I have many unfinished ideas, but first we move on to the next court section of Days of An Ace Attorney.**

**I decided that I'll be doing a one shot or something of the sort in between each section of the retelling, so this is the first one. This one shot is dedicated to Here I Am Rambling Again, who drew a beautiful picture of Madi in her wedding dress. I'm dedicating a one shot to each and every person who does fan art and you get to pick the prompt. So please, if you'd like a personalized one shot, consider doing some fan art or get an artistically inclined friend to do it for you. I'd greatly appreciate it.**

**Thanks for sticking with me. More soon, promise, especially since I'm officially on Spring Break!**

**~Diana**

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><p><em>Ivy's POV<em>

I looked at my sister, pride bubbling up in my stomach. My kid sister Madeline has grown into a beautiful, confident young woman, and today was her big day. She was sitting on a low stool, her beautiful white dress pooling around her feet. Her hands were fluttering around her hair, her face, her dress. They looked like skittish birds, flying around every which way. _Hey, pretty poetic,_ I congratulated myself mentally and tugged the medium's robe closer around myself. Not that I was as 'gifted' as Mia, but still, the kid channeling me was like 9. I gently took her hands and pulled her toward me. She stood up from the stool to face me, a happy grin on her face, and for a second, she was my little sophomore again. Iturned and picked up a box that Maya had left inside the door for me. "Here," I said, holding it out to her. She took it and opened it slowly, her face glowing with anticipation like it had on Christmas morning when we were kids. I already knew what was inside: four little packages, each carefully wrapped in tissue paper, each bearing a different label.

"Something old, something new-" she began, a small smile lighting up her face.

"Something borrowed, something blue," we finished together. I asked eagerly, "Remember when we were kids and-"

"And Mom would always tell us those old wives' tales? I never believed them," Madeline said, laughing.

"Well, I did," I replied, unable to hold back a smile. "Well, go on! Open 'em!"

She laughed, that laugh I missed so much, and pulled out the first package. "Something old," she read. She gently unwrapped the tissue paper package. There was a gasp of surprise and awe as she saw what lay nestled in her hands. A silver comb shone in the bright light of the small room. Diamonds sparkled around a large rose design with shimmering pearl petals. "M-Mom's-"

"Comb, yeah," I finished for her. "The one thing we weren't allowed to play with, remember?"

"Yeah," my sister breathed. I took it from her hands and securely placed it in her dark updo underneath her veil. It caught the light perfectly, the vibrant white and faint sheen of other colors on the pearly petals bringing out the glow in her eyes. I couldn't hold back a satisfied grin and I was reminded of the first time we'd ever discovered that comb in our mother's room. We'd fought over it, as is sisterly nature, until the then-young Madeline had put it in her hair. We'd both had to admit it looked better on her: with her pale skin, gray eyes, and dark hair, silver was more Madeline's color, while my tanner skin, blonde hair, and green eyes were more suited to gold. Our mother had come in as we were admiring it and told us that we weren't to touch it again. She'd carefully put it away in her jewelry box and it had remained hidden under lock and key. Until now, when it graced the curls of another bride.

I shook my head to bring myself back to reality. I had enough time to reminisce later. "Keep going! I don't have all day!" I teased her, pushing the box back toward her. She pulled out the 'new' package, unwrapping a small box.

"So this is why Franziska wouldn't let me wear earrings," she said with a smile, fingering the beautiful diamond and pearl drops that sat on the velvet interior of the box.

"I picked them out," I said, unable to keep a note of pride out of my voice. They really were beautiful. I gently took them from her and helped her put them in because her hands were shaking so much. She sniffed quietly, holding back tears. Madeline made to pull out the "borrowed" package, but I pushed her hands back down. "Save that one for last," I said quietly. She nodded and pulled out the 'blue' package. Unwrapping it revealed a delicate silver anklet with a sapphire connected to the chain. "I thought it fit blue rather nicely," I said happily, kneeling to fasten it on her ankle. I'm sure my eyes then began glowing with that impish sparkle that people tell me about but that I have yet to see. "And Miles Edgeworth can take it off tonight when you-"

"Ivy!" Madeline's face was flaming crimson, but an embarrassed smile crept slowly onto her face.

"Ok, now the last one," I said, still laughing on the inside at the uncomfortable position in which I'd put my sister. She took the final package and unwrapped it slowly. It almost slipped through her fingers and her eyes filled with tears.

"Ivy, y-your… necklace…" I couldn't stop my eyes from tearing up as well. I grinned as tears began to pour down my cheeks.

"From senior graduation, remember? I-I never got to wear it." I took it from her hands, moving behind her to clasp the thin silver chain around her neck. "But now you can." The diamond heart hung perfectly between her exposed collarbones. I held her at shoulder's length, admiring the look through eyes filled with tears. "Now I expect this back someday in perfect condition, ok?" I choked out. She touched it almost reverently, turning to throw her arms around me, sobbing quietly.

"Ivy," she sniffled into my shoulder. I was kind of surprised: I'd never seen her let go like this; she was usually the calm one, while I took care of the emotions for both of us. But I supposed emotions must be running high today. We finally separated, wiping our eyes but still smiling. "Ivy?" she said softly, her gray eyes glowing.

"Yeah?" I responded.

"How did you get all these things?"

I laughed. "Well, it's a long story…"

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><p><em>A few days before…<em>

I opened my eyes to find a girl with long black hair in a weird style and warm brown eyes leaning over me. "Ivy?"

"Huh?" I said groggily. I'll admit, I wasn't at my best. Being channeled takes a while to get used to for an amateur like me. I shifted, noticing the slight tightness of the dress that I wore. I must be channeled by a teenager close to my age this time.

"Shh Maya, give her time," said another voice, one that I recognized. "It's uncommon for a person not of the Fey blood to be up and about right after being channeled."

"Mia?" I murmured. I'd come across her in… well, wherever I was now, and we'd become friends because we shared a common interest: keeping an eye on our little sisters.

"Yes, Ivy, I'm here." She leaned over me as well. Her hair was fashioned into something resembling a pretzel and her clothes were far too small. She must be being channeled by a kid.

"So…what's up?" I said with as much bravado as I could muster. I was still feeling pretty shaken up.

"You'll have to ask Maya," Mia replied, a confused line appearing between her eyebrows. "She was the one who came up with this 'plan,' as she calls it."

I turned to the other girl, the one with the topknot. "Maya, I assume?" She nodded furiously, a grin lighting up her face. "I've heard a lot about you," I said, glancing at Mia, who was laughing quietly. "So, why am I here?"

"Well, you know, Madi's getting married in a few days," Maya began, looking jubilant. "So I thought you might want to get her a present or something-" She had to stop short as I had thrown my arms around her.

"Thank you, Maya, thank you so much!" I squealed, grinning at Mia over her shoulder. "So, where are we going?"

"That's what I was going to ask you," Maya replied. "We can go anywhere you want. I even got us a driver." As she spoke those words, another woman entered the room. Her gray hair was cut just below her chin and she was twisting a whip between her hands. She examined me with gray eyes that reminded me a little of Madeline's.

"Is this Ivy Brent?" she asked Maya, pointing a hand in my direction, a small condescending smirk on her lips.

I couldn't hold back a reply, slowly standing. "I'm standing right here. Yeah, I'm Ivy."

She nodded at me, that smirk never leaving her features. "Hmph. You are just like your sister." I grinned.

"Thank you!" I said cheerfully, walking toward the door. Seeing that no one was following, I turned around. "You coming?"

"Um, Ivy?" Maya said. She looked like she was trying to contain a laugh. "That's the bathroom. The door's over here."

"Oh." I marched in the other direction, masking my embarrassment with confidence. Everyone followed this time, Mia with a knowing smile, Maya giggling a little, and Franziska rolling her eyes at her companions' foolishness.

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><p>We entered the jewelry store that I'd frequented as a teenager. I'd gotten Madi her birthday presents here for a while. The shopkeeper didn't recognize me, but I guess that was to be expected. It had been quite a long time, after all.<p>

"What can I do for you?" he asked. He looked almost the same as I remembered, but with a few more lines on his face and a more aged look in his eyes.

"We're just going to look around, thank you," I said with a smile.

He nodded. "Please let me know if there's anything I can do for you."

As I stood near the middle of the small shop, poised with indecision about what to look at first, Maya and Franziska both walked over to a different case and pointed at something, exclaiming that they had found the perfect gift. "How could you have found the perfect gift, you fool?" Franziska said irritably. "I work with this girl on a daily basis. I'm positive that I know her better."

"Hey! She's my friend too!" Maya retorted, her lip pushing out into a pout. The two continued to argue as I slipped between them and looked in a completely different case. Something immediately caught my eye.

"These are pretty," I murmured.

"They are," said Mia. I jumped. I hadn't even heard her come behind me.

"Do you think she'll like them?" I said, looking hopefully at my friend.

"I think she'll like anything you pick out for her," Mia replied with a smile.

"I'll take these," I called to the shopkeeper. He gently removed the pearl and diamond earrings that I'd been looking at and wrapped them carefully in a small velvet box. I pulled out my wallet and fingered the bills inside. I had withdrawn the money from our parent's bank account. I began to pay when something by the register caught my eye. "What's this?"

"That's an anklet, miss. Sterling silver, and the sapphire comes from Egypt. I just got it in after I participated in a bidding war at a very heated auction." He puffed out his chest in pride. "I put it by the register so everyone would see it."

"May I?" I asked. He nodded and I picked it up. The tiny links of the silver chain spilled over my fingers and I rubbed the sapphire between my thumb and forefinger. I held it up to the light, admiring the way the blue of the gem shone in the late afternoon sun. "Can I have this as well?" I asked, handing it to him.

"Yes, miss."

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><p>"You can turn in here." I was sitting in the front seat of Franziska's black convertible, directing her to a block of storage units downtown. I turned to glance at Maya, sitting next to her sister in the backseat. "You did get those keys like you said you did, right?"<p>

"Yeah," she replied, holding up Madi's key ring and tossing it into the front seat. "I had my friend Kay steal it for me. She's a master thief."

"Alright then," I said, turning back around with a smile. "Here it is, Franziska."

The other woman stopped the car and everyone got out, looking around. It seemed like just a normal row of storage garages, the doors all painted bright blue. I moved over to the one directly across from the car and searched Madi's keys until I found the one that I was looking for.

"Ivy, I don't get it. What are we doing here?" Maya asked from behind me. I was busy lifting the garage door, so I didn't answer for a second.

"This is the garage of my family. We stored things in here. Madi and I put some of our parents' things in here after they died. I'm looking for one of those things. I also assume she put my stuff in here. I'm looking for something of my own, as well."

"Ivy, you know you can't take things back-" Mia began, putting a hand on my shoulder, but I just laughed.

"It's not for me," I said, rolling my eyes. "It's for my sister." I started rummaging around in the boxes filling the small garage. I vaguely remembered packing the boxes of our parents' things in the back. I began opening boxes and taking out items, searching for a specific thing. "Ah!" I pulled out a wooden box, still remarkably well-polished after all these years in a box. A rose inlaid in gold decorated the top of the lid. I set it down next to me and opened the lid, carefully removing a tiny golden key from underneath the felt of the bottom of the box. Flipping the box over, I put the key in the tiny keyhole on the bottom of the box. There was a small click and the entire bottom of the box came off, revealing another compartment covered with red velvet. Sitting in the bottom was the comb our mother had worn on her wedding day.

"That's beautiful," Maya breathed. I jumped. I'd kind of forgotten they were there, wrapped up in my own thoughts.

"It's our mother's," I murmured. I moved back over toward the front of the garage and found the boxes that must surely be full of my belongings, as they were not as dusty as the boxes in the back. I began emptying them out, again looking for something specific. I couldn't hold back a few tears as I unpacked some things that had been special to me: autographed playbills and movie posters, stuffed animals, my schoolbooks from senior year. Finally, I found what I was looking for: my white jewelry box with my name in gold letters on the top. I held it in my hands, savoring the feeling of the smooth wood under my fingertips. I'd held this box almost every day as I picked out the perfect accessories for my outfit. I opened the top, revealing the little ballerina who spun around when I wound the back. A tinkling melody played as the small figurine moved in an endless circle.

I pawed through the jewelry, not finding the one piece I was looking for. I opened the next drawer down, searching through rings and bracelets, but still not finding it. That means it has to be in the bottom drawer. I opened the drawer to find that the only piece of jewelry inside was the one that I was looking for. The bright diamond heart sparkled in the low light as I lifted it up by the thin golden chain. "It's perfect."

* * *

><p><em>Later that evening…<em>

Madeline looked at herself in the mirror, unable to keep a smile off her face. She was married. She touched the heart that was still around her neck, peeping out from underneath the simple robe wrapped around her. It had been nice to wear it; it felt like she'd had a piece of her sister with her as she walked down the aisle. She gently reached around to unfasten it, but her hands met someone else's. She waited until her husband had taken off the necklace, then turned to face him, her hands moving to wrap around him. His hands rested lightly around her waist and he kissed her forehead gently. "I never asked you where you got that necklace," he said quietly. "It's beautiful. It suits you."

She blushed, smiling. "It's a long story."

He lifted her chin with a finger and met her eyes. "We have time."


	6. Chapter 6 Fireworks

**Hello! Time for some random fluff! Working on Chapter 3 of TurnaboutCola was hard, so I took a break to write this short oneshot. Takes place right after their wedding, but no time for a long author's note... Diana's going to the beach! Talk to you guys later!**

**~Diana**

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><p>Madeline emerged from the bathroom. She glanced around the room, looking for her husband, who had to be waiting for her. She shook her head almost imperceptibly, her cheeks coloring. <em>Husband<em>… it felt so strange to say that word. It was hard to believe that just this morning, she'd been standing in the back of a church, waiting to walk down the aisle. And now she was married.

Miles Edgeworth was standing in front of the small table on the balcony of their hotel room at the Gatewater, leaning on the railing and looking out over the lights of Los Angeles. He turned when he heard the door quietly slide open. His wife slipped out, wrapping a blanket around her shoulders like a shawl. Her ebony hair tumbled around her shoulders, having just been taken out of its elaborate updo. Her smile was almost shy as she pulled her blanket closer. "Hi," she said quietly. He couldn't help but notice how big and beautiful her gray eyes looked in the moonlight; they glowed like the stars above them.

He took her hand and led her to the table. It was lit by candlelight and held a bottle of champagne and two delicate glasses. "Very romantic, Miles," Madeline said approvingly as she sat down and he pushed in her chair before sitting down himself.

"I try," he replied, settling down across from her.

"So are you going to tell me what's happening tomorrow?" she asked curiously. All she knew was that they were going on a plane to… somewhere. Her husband was being infuriatingly quiet on the details.

"I think I'll keep it to myself for now," he said. Her lips formed a playful pout.

"Miles, you know I hate surprises," she murmured, taking his hand. His fingers traced the ring on her finger.

"I know," he said simply. He picked up the bottle between them. "Champagne?"

She rolled her eyes. "You do know how to change the subject," she replied as he filled her glass. But in reality, she'd already give up. She'd known from the beginning that if he didn't want to tell her, he wasn't going to say a word. He handed her the glass without another word and raised his.

"To us," he said quietly. That same shy smile appeared on her lips and she drank, as did he.

She pretended to be fascinated with the rising bubbles in her glass to avoid looking at the man across from her. She didn't know why she felt so nervous all of the sudden. She hadn't felt like this around him since they'd first started dating.

He was studying her intensely, wondering what he could say to put her at ease. "Madeline, are you feeling alright? You seem…distracted." She blinked at him for a second, then smiled.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I'm just…kind of in shock, if that doesn't sound terrible. I just can't believe it actually happened."

"Having second thoughts?" he asked. She smirked.

"Why? You worried?" she responded playfully. Then she scooted her chair around the table so she was next to him and laid her head on his shoulder. "No regrets," she murmured, kissing him on the cheek. "I love you." He wrapped a lock of her hair around his finger and looked out over the glittering latticework of the city streets.

Suddenly, there was a loud boom. Madeline sat up, eyes wide. "What was that?"she said in alarm. He looked around (checking for potential danger) before a golden starburst exploded in the sky. "Oh!" Madeline ran to the railing and looked up at the sky. More colors appeared, white, blue, red, green. He looked over at his wife. She was clutching the bar tightly, a happy grin on her face. "They're beautiful," she called. He admired the way her face looked as it changed colors along with the lights. Finally she sat back down and leaned into him. He slipped an arm around her shoulders as they watched the remainder of the show together. When it was over, Madeline turned to him. "Was that for us?" she said.

Edgeworth frowned. "Honestly, I have no idea." He wouldn't put it past Larry or Wright, but they probably would have given it away by now. She laughed, that happy sound that he'd been wanting to hear all night. He kissed her forehead and leaned over, picking up a box from the table. "I have something for you." She sat up and glared at him.

"I thought we agreed not to get anything for each other!" she exclaimed, frowning.

"Well, I already had it, so I didn't get it for you. I'd gotten it for you." He smirked at her. He could practically see the steam pouring out of her ears.

"Argh, you and your logic!" she replied in irritation, but she smiled all the same. He handed her the small, flat box.

"I wanted to give this to you before the wedding, but I was afraid you would… do something drastic." She rolled her eyes at him before carefully opening the package. There was a slight intake of breath.

Nestled in scarlet velvet was a bracelet mad of delicate silver links. A small diamond heart dangled off the right end. But the most extraordinary part about the bracelet was the clasps. One bore the letters 'MB', while the other was engraved with 'ME'. The bracelet was fashioned in such a way that when the bracelet was fastened, the initials would be joined. "Miles, it-it's beautiful," she stammered. He gently took the box from her and lifted out the bracelet. At the same time, he took her right wrist and began to fasten the bracelet onto it. He paused for a moment.

"Once I fasten this chain, you cannot escape. It is official," he said, giving her a very serious look. She giggled with a hint of nervousness.

"And the rings weren't official enough for you?" He was still waiting for an answer. She smiled. "I'll try not to struggle too much," she replied teasingly. He clasped it around her wrist and she held it up, examining it for a moment. Then she impulsively threw her arms around him and kissed him. Edgeworth was surprised for a second, then wrapped his arms around her for another lingering kiss.

When they separated, he was dazzled by her large gray eyes, so close to his own. He could hear her shallow breathing as she relaxed back against his chest. He was aware of her eyelashes brushing his neck as she blinked, looking up at the sky. Edgeworth checked his watch. How did it get to be almost 2 in the morning? "Madeline, do you want to go inside?"

She smiled and stood, taking his offered hand. They walked, fingers entwined, back inside their hotel room, and the curtains closed (both literally and figuratively) on their first night as husband and wife.


	7. Chapter 7 Movies

**Hello all! So, guess who saw the Ace Attorney movie not once, but TWICE? This girl! It was absolutely amazing, and for that reason, I wrote a review for you all. Please note that these are just my opinions, so don't judge me or anything! My latest one-shot is also at the bottom, something I started a long time ago, but never finished. Hope you guys enjoy it! Let me know your thoughts on the movie, etc.! I'd love to hear them**

**~Diana**

* * *

><p>"<strong>The defense is ready, Your Honor."<strong>

"**The prosecution…was born ready."**

I recently had the pleasure of attending an anime convention called AM2. Although I went for many reasons, such as cosplaying for the first time (as Ema Skye) and seeing what anime conventions are all about, there was one main reason for choosing an obscure convention only in its second year of operation. What reason could possibly motivate a fangirl like me? The Phoenix Wright movie, of course!

Let's start with the basics. The movie follows the plot of the game we know and love with only a few minor changes. All four of the first game's original GBA cases are touched upon, but the first part of the movie is about case two (Turnabout Sisters) while the majority of the movie is focused on case four (Turnabout Goodbyes). Minor changes include the omission of characters (such as April May, Will Powers, and Wendy Oldbag), a change in the location of location of the DL-6 case (it took place in the basement evidence room, not an elevator), and a difference in Redd White's role in the overall scheme of things. Despite these minor changes, the writers flawlessly incorporate the quirky parts of the game that make it unique. Examples include Redd White's infamous "Splendiferous!", confetti in the courtroom, and Frank Sawhit's toupee hitting Phoenix in the face. But if I continue on about the plot, I'd be here for ages, so time to move on.

The actors play their parts exceedingly well. Hiroki Narimiya (Phoenix Wright) really captures the character of everyone's favorite defense attorney. His facial expressions are to die for, especially when talking to channeled Mia. He's just so adorably helpless in court that I wanted to give him a hug practically the entire time, although he has his moments of glory. He also interacts very well with Mirei Kiritani (Maya Fey). My only criticism of Mirei is that she seems a little old for the part of the energetic, rambunctious medium-in-training. I also was not a fan of the strange fur scarf/stole thing she was wearing the entire time, but that's not her fault. I regret not being able to see more of Rei Dan (Mia Fey), but she has some nice scenes in the first ten or so minutes of the movie before her tragic death. I know many fanboys in the audience were disappointed about her lack of cleavage, but I think it was nice that her heart was bigger than her bust.

Although I may be a little biased, being a fangirl and all, Takumi Saitou (Miles Edgeworth) absolutely made the movie for me. He is just so perfect for the role, combining stoicism with being a total badass. And he isn't bad-looking either, but again, that's probably just the fangirl in me. His mentor, Ryo Ishibashi (Manfred von Karma) also made a big impression. He captures the cocky and slightly creepy personality of the undefeated prosecutor…perfectly, if you'll excuse the pun.

Shunsuke Daito (Dick Gumshoe) plays the semi-incompetent detective very well. Although he was a little smaller than most expected, his devotion to Edgeworth is just as sweet as it is in the game. However, the best part about Gumshoe was his trusty sidekick: a life-size Blue Badger. It did everything from minor things like hold an umbrella for Gumshoe, to major things like stopping a trial.

Another actor who really stood out in my mind was Akiyoshi Nakao (Larry Butz). He expertly portrays the classic Larry while adding humor and style to the mix. Every other scene, he would be in the background, doing something hilarious, especially during the courtroom scenes. I could always pick him out immediately because of his crazy spiky hair and loud yelling.

The final actor who was really impressive was someone I never expected to even think twice about. Fumio Kohinata (Yanni Yogi) beautifully portrayed a man driven mad by grief and willing to go to any means to get revenge on the men who disgraced him. I honestly had never really thought about Yanni Yogi before, but the film presents a chilling backstory of his trial, his wife's suicide, and the events leading to the murder. And of course, he provides the animal necessary for everyone's favorite scene: Phoenix cross-examining Polly the parrot. It was very entertaining to watch Hiroki work with that parrot.

On a technical note, the technology portrayed in the courtroom of 20XX was very extraordinary. Apparently in 20XX, evidence will be displayed on holographic screens that can be summoned with a snap or a bang on the desk. They can also be thrown at hapless detectives.

On a completely unrelated note, the flashbacks of Phoenix, Larry, and Miles in grade school were SO CUTE. I seriously almost died. The kids were perfect and that's all that needs to be said. Just had to get that out, sorry.

However, there were a few things that bothered me just a little bit. The first was near the end of the movie. Manfred von Karma is going on this huge rant about prosecutors and guilty people and all this other crazy stuff… but I couldn't listen (uh, I mean, read the subtitles). Know why? There's this weird editing thing going on! It looks like von Karma is teleporting all over the courtroom. So either there was a strange editing job, or von Karma has magically gained the power of teleportation, which is not out of the realm of possibility.

Another thing that bothered me/made me laugh really, really hard was when this happened:

**Phoenix: **You said it was '30 minutes after midnight on Christmas Eve'?

**Lotta: **Yeah, so?

**Phoenix: **Wouldn't that make it… Christmas?

Cue everyone in the courtroom falling over. Everyone. Falls. Over. Why? I mean, don't get me wrong, it was hilarious, but so random. It happens again, with probably one of my favorite quotes in the movie. This is not exact, I'm just writing what I remember.

**Yogi: **[referring to Miles Edgeworth] It was that fluttery guy. He walked by my window. He said something.

**Phoenix: **What did he say?

**Yogi: **While fluttering, he said 'No way! Shooting a man is like…"

**Edgeworth: **OBJECTION! I said no such thing! *pause* And I don't flutter that much.

And everyone falls over again. It was very funny, but why?

Third thing: Redd White. His character is pretty much the exact opposite of how it is in the game. Instead of a pink suit, he wears a black jacket. Instead of the owner of an information business, he is a freelance magazine writer. My friend complained that he looked more like Ozzy Osbourne than Redd White. But his character still worked fine, it was just a little disconcerting.

Ok, almost done. The very ending of the movie was interesting, to say the least. It could just be my paranoid Edgeworth-and-Phoenix-will-never-be-together mind, but the very last line of the movie insinuated a little bit of… yaoi.

**Edgeworth: **My methods don't violate the law. But they seem to have violated you. Have you got a problem with that?

Yikes.

In conclusion, _Ace Attorney _was an amazing movie. If only someone could have taken a picture of all of the fans crammed in that tiny room, cheering when all of their favorite characters appeared on the screen, laughing as the parrot said "I'm hun-gry!" over and over as Phoenix tried to question it, and sighing about how attractive Miles Edgeworth was-wait, that probably was just me. Anyways, it was an experience I'll never forget. If you can get past minor changes to characters and plot, you'll have found an invaluable source of suspense and entertainment. I hope I can purchase it with subtitles somewhere and not have to listen to those people yelling "Kiss! Kiss!" when Phoenix and Edgeworth are having a nice handshake moment. I highly recommend this movie to everyone, even if they haven't played the games. I read that it's coming to more anime conventions across the U.S., so if you get the chance, by all means, go see it. All I could say when I got out was 'it made my life.' But don't just take my word for it. Go see it for yourself. You won't regret it.

* * *

><p>One-Shot...<p>

"Where are we going, Mystic Maya?" Pearl asked her older cousin as they headed down the street.

"We're going to the movies, Pearl!" Maya said happily, taking the little girl's hand.

Pearl bit the thumb of her free hand, a habit she had when she was thinking. "Um, Mystic Maya, what is a moo-vy?"

"A movie is like a TV show, only longer," Maya told her cousin as they got in line to buy tickets.

"Then why are we waiting? Can't we just turn it on?" Pearl asked, blinking innocently.

Maya laughed. "No, Pearly, we have to buy tickets to get in to see the movie."

Pearl looked up at the sign above them, which showed movie times and ticket prices. "Oh! I remember Mr. Nick buying tik-kets when we went on the tray-en. Are they related at all?"

Maya thought for a moment. "Kind of," she said, arriving at the window. "We need two kids tickets for The Steel Samurai: The Evil Magistrate's Revenge, please."

The cashier gave Maya a doubtful look. "And how old are you, miss?" she asked, giving Maya a once-over.

"I'm seventeen," Maya said, grinning.

The cashier smirked. "Sorry, but our age limit for children's tickets is twelve years old."

Maya grinned apologetically. "Whoops! Ok then, I need one child and one adult ticket."

The cashier rolled her eyes and printed the tickets. "Enjoy the show," she said monotonously. Maya smiled and led Pearl toward the doors. Pearl was jumping up and down in excitement as they crossed the theater lobby. They stopped to buy concessions, where Maya had to be dragged kicking and screaming away from the counter by her younger cousin because the theater did not have burgers.

"Let's just go find where we're supposed to go, Mystic Maya," the small girl said quietly. Maya nodded, her cheeks still a little red, but she opened the door to the theater and found their seats. As the theater darkened, Pearl latched onto Maya's arm. "Mystic Maya, is this supposed to happen?" she whispered.

"Don't worry, Pearly. It's so we can see the movie better," he cousin whispered back and Pearl settled back into her seat. The movie was two hours long. Maya almost got thrown out for excessive cheering and attempting to use her Samurai Kick on the empty chair in front of her. Needless to say, the people around them were not happy, but Maya and Pearl emerged from the movie very satisfied.

"That was so much fun, Mystic Maya!" Pearl squealed, jumping up and down.

Maya nodded happily. "The Steel Samurai is so cool! I loved the finishing move: Samurai Slap! Samurai Slash!" She enthusiastically demonstrated a few moves on a bush as the two cousins headed toward the Wright and Co. Law Offices. As they walked across the street, still discussing the movie, Maya turned around and saw a familiar burgundy-suited prosecutor coming out of the movie theater. "Mr. Edgeworth!" she called.

The man looked up and tried to walk in the opposite direction, but no one was faster than Maya on a mission. The two girls quickly crossed the street again and followed Mr. Edgeworth. "Hi, Mr. Edgeworth!" Maya said happily, catching up with him.

"Hi, Mr. Ed-ji-werth!" Pearl said brightly, parroting her cousin. Maya thought she saw Mr. Edgeworth sigh before he turned around.

"Hello Maya, Pearl," he said, nodding.

"Fancy seeing you here, Mr. Edgeworth," Maya said teasingly.

"I was simply on my way home from work," he said quietly, beginning to walk again. Maya and Pearl fell into step beside him.

"So how are you today?" Maya asked, hiding a smile. She was going to try and trick Mr. Edgeworth into admitting where he had really been.

"Fine," Edgeworth said, giving her a slightly confused look.

_Whoops_, Maya thought. _He's on to me!_

"Why were you coming out of the movie theater?" Maya said, deciding to get right to the point. She raised an eyebrow and tried to look like Nick did when he was questioning witnesses.

Edgeworth started to look a little nervous. "I told you, I was heading home from work. I wasn't at the movie theater at all."

Maya's face fell. She really wasn't good at this. Pearl tugged on her sleeve. "Mystic Maya, isn't his office on the other side of town?" she asked quietly. Maya saw Edgeworth's face turn pale.

"Yeah, Mr. Edgeworth! And where's your car, too? I never see you just walking around!" Maya's eyes glowed. She knew she had won.

"Come here, you two," Edgeworth muttered, leading them to a bench and sitting down. They eagerly collapsed next to him, wanting to know what the prim and perfect prosecutor was hiding.

"The truth is… I was supposed to go see the Steel Samurai movie with Madeline tomorrow, but I… I just couldn't wait. You won't tell her, will you?" He looked so ashamed. What could the girls say?

"Okay, Mr. Edgeworth, it'll be our little secret," Maya said, winking.

"But you shouldn't have done that to your special someone…" Pearl said, frowning.

"Wait, hold on," Edgeworth said, standing up and shading his eyes, directing his gaze toward the doors of the theater, still visible from where they were sitting. "Is that…?"

A familiar-looking woman with black hair was exiting the theater, looking left and right quickly, as if trying to avoid someone. "It is!" Maya said excitedly. "Madeline!" The woman looked around, searching for the source of the voice before catching sight of Maya and Pearl. A grin lit up her face before she noticed Edgeworth standing next to them. A red blush appeared on her cheeks and she turned and started quickly walking away.

"Looks like she did the same thing, huh, Mr. Edgeworth?" said Maya teasingly.

"You two even sneak to the same moo-vys! You really are special someones!" Pearl continued, smiling and clapping her hands happily.

"Yes," Edgeworth replied distractedly, eyes on Madeline's back. "If you'll excuse me." And with that, he quickly crossed the street and jogged after her. Finally he caught up with her, and Maya and Pearl watched with excitement as they talked for a little bit, then they kissed and continued down the street, hand in hand. Maya and Pearl shared a quiet giggle, then started the walk back to Nick's office, Pearl thinking of the special someones they had just seen and Maya thinking of the impressive moves of the Steel Samurai.


	8. Chapter 8 A Turkeyless Thanksgiving

**A/N: Hahaha, fooled ya! I bet you were expecting an all-new oneshot, huh? Well, this is a oneshot I published on Thanksgiving last year. I decided, since it's a oneshot, I should move it here. So I left the original author's note and reviews and just picked it up and moved it over here. Hope you enjoy it, even though it's July. Another chapter of Turnabout Cola coming your way in a few days! **

**~Diana**

* * *

><p><strong>1125/11**

**A/N: Just a little thing I wrote for Thanksgiving...hope you enjoy! Thought of this little idea while making pies last night and it kind of just developed whenever I could escape from "family time" haha. Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!**

**~Diana**

**P.S: Sorry about the abrupt ending, I wanted to get this up today. :)**

* * *

><p>Miles Edgeworth woke up to delicious smells emanating from the kitchen. He slowly got up, wondering what his wife was doing. Entering the kitchen, he saw Madeline standing in front of the window, stirring something. His arms encircled her waist and she almost dropped the spoon she was holding in surprise. She turned around, keeping his arms in place, and pecked him on the cheek. "Morning," he said. She replied with a smile, which dazzled him as always.<p>

"What are you up to?" he asked. An expression of mock horror crossed her features and she turned back to her bowl.

"It's Thanksgiving! Remember, we invited everyone over here! Phoenix and Maya are coming, Franziska will be here, and Gumshoe and Maggey too! Don't tell me you forgot!" she said. He kissed the top of her head.

"I didn't." In reality, he had. "Do you need me to do anything?"

"Would you mind watching the turkey for me? It's in the oven, but I forgot a few things – first time cooking for so many people," she said, cheeks coloring. "It needs to be taken out at one. I should be back by then, but it _is _Thanksgiving. Don't know how the lines will be."

"I can do that," he replied. She grinned in thanks and grabbed her jacket, giving him a quick kiss goodbye before running out the door.

He looked at the clock. 11 am. This was going to be a long day.

* * *

><p><em>2 pm…<em>

Edgeworth woke up, jolting his head off his desk. What had happened? He rustled the case files in front of him (so boring they'd caused him to fall asleep) and stretched. Eventually a low beeping sound caught his attention and he was puzzled for a second. What was that? He checked his watch. 2 pm! Running into the kitchen he opened the oven, heart pounding. Unwrapping the foil, he let out a groan. The turkey was scorched. Madeline would be furious, or that heartbreaking disappointment that killed him every time.

He picked up the phone and dialed his "sister's" number. "Hello?" Franziska said.

"Franziska, it's me," Edgeworth said quickly. "I need your help."

"What could you possibly need my help with now, Miles Edgeworth? I'll see you in about an hour!" Edgeworth explained the situation in a small voice. Franziska let out an exasperated sigh. "Only you, Miles Edgeworth," she said. He could practically see her rolling her eyes. "Are you sure you can't just TELL Madeline what happened?"

"You know how much I hate disappointing her," Edgeworth replied. "She was so excited."

"Then I guess your best bet is to try and find an already-cooked turkey and replace it somehow."

"Great," Edgeworth said. Where was he going to find a cooked turkey on Thanksgiving?

* * *

><p>Edgeworth hurried down the aisle of the grocery store. He stopped at the meat counter and caught the attention of the young woman behind the counter. "Can I help you?" she asked politely, looking him over.<p>

"I need a turkey," he said, fully conscious of how ridiculous the request was. She pursed her lips.

"Sorry, don't have any left out here. Now if you want to come in the back with me and check…" Her eyes gleamed suggestively.

"No, thanks," he said, backing away rather quickly. She winked and waved after him, laughing. He quickly began to walk out of the store, but stopped in surprised horror as he saw a familiar face at the register. Madeline was paying for groceries, smiling and laughing with the cashier. He exited the store before she could see him and drove back home in silence. He was just going to have to tell her the truth.

* * *

><p>"I'm back!" Madeline called cheerfully, closing the door behind her. She had several bags in her hands that she threw down in the kitchen. She kissed him on the cheek, moving toward the kitchen. "How's the turkey?" she asked.<p>

"About that," he said uneasily. She turned around, eyes curious.

"What?"

"I was working and…"

"Please, no…" She ran a hand through her hair and hurried into the kitchen. Upon seeing the burned turkey, she let out a small gasp and fell into a chair. He sat down next to her, looking anxious.

"You aren't…mad, are you?" he asked worriedly. She shook her head wordlessly, her gaze turning to the turkey again. Suddenly there was a knock on the apartment door and Madeline looked up quickly.

"Oh no! I'm not ready!" she squealed, standing quickly and running to their room. He watched her go, astounded at her sudden mood change. Deciding not to question it, he went to open the door. Franziska stood in front, with Phoenix and Maya behind her, and he could see Gumshoe and Maggey coming down the hallway.

"Miles Edgeworth!" Franziska greeted him. "Did you solve your…problem?"

"Kind of."

"Where is she?"

"Getting ready."

"Hey, Edgeworth!" Phoenix greeted him. Maya pushed past him, practically running into the kitchen.

"She's not in there," Edgeworth called after her.

"Hi everyone!" came a cheery voice from the direction of the bedroom. Madeline had reappeared, wearing an orange blouse and blue jeans. Her black hair was tied up in an elegant updo, revealing orange drop earrings. "Thanks for coming!"

"Thanks for having us, pal!" Gumshoe replied, crushing her in a hug. Maggey giggled from beside him.

"I still have a few things to finish up, so Maggey, Franziska…?" she trailed off. The two followed her to the kitchen. "I assume Maya's already in here…yes." Edgeworth left Phoenix and Gumshoe talking by the door and followed his wife.

"You aren't mad or anything, right?" he asked worriedly. She shook her head, a radiant smile gracing her features.

"That's not what Thanksgiving's about anyway," she replied.

"Do you need me to do anything else?" he asked.

"No, I think you've done enough today," she said, winking. It wasn't spiteful, just teasing. "Go be the American male stereotype and watch football." He made a face at her and left the kitchen.

* * *

><p><em>1 hour later…<em>

"Ok, it's ready!" Maya called and the men got up from the living room, entering the kitchen. The table was set beautifully and filled with food: mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, and a heaping plate of rolls, to name a few things. Significantly absent was the turkey, which Edgeworth still felt horrible about.

"Sit down, everyone," Madeline said from the head of the table. Edgeworth sat next to her and everyone else took their places. They began passing around the food and chatting. Edgeworth couldn't take his eyes off the woman next to him, who was laughing at a story Gumshoe had just finished telling.

"This is so much better than instant noodles, pal!"

She turned to him, perhaps feeling his eyes on her. "Are you alright? You've been quiet," she murmured. "Don't be upset about the turkey," she begged. "We don't need it."

"I know," he assured her. "I'm just reflecting on what I'm thankful for." She blushed and smiled.

"I'm thankful for all of us," she said, glancing around the table. "I'm glad we could all be together today with no fighting." Right then, Gumshoe and Maya started arguing over the potatoes. She laughed. "I suppose it was too good to last."

* * *

><p><strong>Invader Phoenix: <strong>Gumshoe and Maya arguing over potatoes... XDI also liked the "guy stereotype" thing. We really do need to take the time and remember that thanksgiv

**Shizuka Ayasato: **Aw cute! . LOL MAYA LOVES FOOD (and Madi's food)


	9. Chapter 9 Superheroes

**A/N: Hey guys, I'm not dead! Rest assured that the GameCola sequel will be published on their website sometime soon, but I figured I'd do something for Halloween. Credit for the idea goes to an episode of Criminal Minds, my all time favorite TV show. **

**Don't forget to take the poll, please! I fixed it so that you can vote for more than one. Thanks!**

**~Diana (who is now a year older)**

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><p>"Ben! Ben!"<p>

Edgeworth heard his wife's calls echoing upstairs. He sighed and leaned back in his desk chair, gazing out the window at the bushes that his wife had so lovingly draped with orange lights. It was a dark Halloween night and his wife was attempting to prepar their son Benjamin for his annual trick-or-treating escapades.

He was shaken out of his thoughts by his wife, who'd poked her head inside his office. "Miles, have you seen Ben?" Madeline asked, leaning against the doorframe. "I can't find him anywhere."

Edgeworth shook his head and she sighed, rolling her eyes. "He's supposed to be in his room, waiting for me to help him with his costume," she muttered. Ben had recently developed a passion for Batman, so Madeline had indulgently bought him a Batman costume to prance up and down the neighborhood in. Edgeworth smirked at the sarcasm of his thoughts. He'd never really grasped the concept of Halloween. The idea of children in costumes parading up to strangers' doors and demanding candy had never really appealed to him.

Madeline coughed quietly to get his attention. "Are you sure you don't want to come with us tonight?" she asked. Edgeworth had declined accompanying the pair on their Halloween 'adventures.' He looked back at his desk, still piled with work. That was all the answer his wife needed. "It's alright," she told him, straightening up. "I'm going to go check the playroom again."

Edgeworth felt a twinge of guilt as his wife's footsteps faded down the hall. He wanted to make Madeline happy, but his dislike of the holiday had prevailed once again. He tried to push the feeling aside, picking up another file, but a frown still creased his lips.

As he did so, he heard pattering feet cross quickly in front of the double doors to his office in the direction of the master bedroom. He smirked, deciding to let his wife search for a little bit longer.

A few minutes later, Edgeworth had forgotten about the tiny footsteps, engrossed in the file he was reading. As he stopped to take a drink of tea, he noticed a pair of small sharp gray eyes peeking above the top of his desk. He sighed. "Ben, your mother is looking for you. You need to put on your costume."

His five-year-old son's head fully popped up, revealing messy black hair and a bright grin. "I have it on, Daddy," he replied.

"Nonsense," Edgeworth scoffed. "You don't have your bat ears on." He immediately hoped such a phrase would never escape his mouth again.

"I changed my costume, Dad," Ben told him.

Edgeworth raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

The young boy nodded and stepped back, revealing his new costume: a dark-colored suit he'd worn to a wedding earlier that year and one of Edgeworth's cravats, clearly stolen from his parents' room. "I'm you, Daddy."

Edgeworth felt a swell of pride for his son. He stood up from his chair and walked around his desk, ruffling Ben's hair. "I thought you wanted to be a superhero," he told Ben, kneeling down and looking the young boy in the eye.

Ben looked just as seriously back and answered, "Daddy, you are a superhero. You and Mommy put bad guys in jail and you do what's right all the time. That's what superheroes do." Edgeworth hugged his son and called for Madeline.

* * *

><p>When Madeline came downstairs, she chuckled at the sight that met her eyes: her son sitting on her husband's shoulders, wearing matching cravats. Edgeworth was holding a bowl of candy to put on the porch.<p>

"Come on, Mommy, let's go!" Ben yelled, flailing his arms and pushing himself up and down on Edgeworth's shoulders, causing his father to wince a bit and raise the arm not holding the candy bowl, trying in vain to calm down his excited son.

"You're coming?" Madeline asked Edgeworth, more than a little surprise in her voice. He nodded, prompting his wife to lean up on tiptoe and peck his cheek. "What brought this on?"

Edgeworth shrugged. "He persuaded me," he replied, jiggling Ben on his shoulders, who shrieked with laughter.

Madeline looked at the pair, sensing that there was more to the story than she was getting, but she opened the door and led her small family out into the night nonetheless. The large moon shone down on the trio making their way across the street, two current superheroes and one future superhero, laughing merrily like a superfamily should.


	10. Chapter 10 An Ocean Away

**A/N: Happy Thanksgiving, all! Just a little something I thought up last night, thought you guys might enjoy it. In any case, keep your eyes on the GameCola website, something interesting should be appearing there in the next couple of weeks. It will not, I repeat WILL NOT, be posted on here because it is complete fiction, only based on a game. It is a GameCola exclusive, per se. **

**Also, don't forget to take my poll, if you have not. **

**Thanks, and I hope all my American readers are having a great day with family and friends, and most importantly, food. Kisses!**

**~Diana **

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><p>Madeline woke up to the harsh beeping of an alarm clock. She groggily checked the time. 2 AM. Time to get up. But god, did she not want to. She curled back up and irritably threw a pillow at the alarm clock, which knocked it backwards off the nightstand with a muffled thunk, but the beeping continued. Madeline rolled her eyes, finally getting up and placing the alarm clock back on the nightstand, turning it off. She glanced back at the bed, where Miles Edgeworth still lay sleeping. Leaning over and kissing his cheek, the legal aide lingered a little longer than needed to before going to get dressed.<p>

A few minutes later, smoothing her blazer and pencil skirt, Madeline pulled her packed bag toward the door of Edgeworth's spacious apartment and slung her laptop case over her shoulder. As she did so, a light flickered on and Madeline jumped, turning around to see Edgeworth, fully dressed, seated at the table.

"You weren't really going to leave without saying goodbye, were you?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Madeline bit her lip. "I didn't want to wake you," she replied quietly, setting her laptop bag down gently next to her suitcase.

"You didn't think I would want to be woken up?" he asked a touch indignantly, bringing a smile to her face.

They met halfway between the door and the table. "Sorry," she whispered, pressing her face to his jacket as he wrapped his arms around her waist, burying his face in her hair.

"This could be the last time I see you in who knows how long," he murmured, and the sadness in his voice (which rarely showed) cut Madeline deep inside. She soaked in the smell of him, the feel of him, the warmth of him.

"Don't. Please don't say that," Madeline told him softly, tears filling her eyes. She wiped them away quickly. "It's just the next great adventure." Edgeworth didn't reply, choosing instead to hold her tighter. She knew that he could hear the hypocrisy in her voice. "Miles, I'm afraid," she whispered.

"Why?" His voice was genuinely curious.

"Franziska... is going to be quite a change from you," she said carefully, looking at the ground. "And it's an ocean away. From here. From you."

Edgeworth held her at arm's length, studying her, his eyes unreadable. "Madeline," he told her firmly, so firmly that she looked up at him, eyes wide. "Part of being a prosecutor is being able to work in different locations with different people-"

"I know, but-" Madeline interrupted.

"Shh," he shushed her, continuing. "And though it may be difficult, I have complete faith in you." Madeline blushed lightly, unable to hide a proud grin. "I know you'll finish your studies in Germany and pass the exam with flying colors."

"But what'll happen after that?" Madeline asked uncertainly.

Edgeworth pulled her close again and Madeline wrapped her arms around his neck. "Madeline, that decision is an ocean away," he whispered before he kissed her, long and sweet. It ended in an embrace, Madeline's head comfortably resting against his shoulder. Her gray eyes, vision still slightly blurry with tears, found the clock on the wall and saw with dismay what time it was.

"I have to go, I'm going to miss my plane," she said quietly. She began to walk toward the door, then turned around and threw her arms around his neck one more time. He held her tightly, kissing her hair and savouring this last moment with her. "I love you," she murmured in his ear. He could feel wetness on his cheeks from her tears.

"I love you, too," he said quietly, gently pushing a strand of hair out of her eyes and wiping away her tears. "And I'll always be waiting for you to come home. Always."

A tiny, stifled sob escaped from Madeline as he let go. She reluctantly made her way toward the door, picking up her bags.

"Are you sure you don't want me to drive you?" he asked her as she put her hand on the doorknob. She shook her head.

"No, go back to sleep, you have that 7 AM meeting tomorrow." At his confused look, she laughed. "How will you ever survive without me?" And with that, the door closed behind her with a soft click.

Edgeworth stood for a second, looking at the door, hardly believing she was gone. Then he turned and walked out to the balcony, watching from above as his aide put her bags into a taxi. She looked up once, only once. As the car zoomed away into the dark, he silently wondered when he'd ever see Madeline again. But there was one thing he did know: be it one year, or two years, or even five, he would always be here, waiting for a new prosecutor to return from an ocean away.


	11. Chapter 11 Phoenix Wright Saves a Whale

**A/N: Hey guys! So this is just a funny little crack fic I wrote based on a screenshot of the DLC for ****_Dual Destinies_****. So I present to you, the story of how Phoenix REALLY lost his badge.**

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><p>"Come on, Nick, hurry up! We're going to miss the show!" Maya Fey yelled, dragging a groggy Phoenix Wright along with her. He checked his watch wearily - 9 AM. Far too early for any respectable person to be up on a Saturday morning.<p>

"Maya, remind me again why we're at Gatewater Land at 9 in the morning," he mumbled as he dug around in his pocket for his wallet to pay for tickets. Maya gave a disgruntled sigh.

"Because, Nick, the new whale exhibit opens today! Did you really want us to miss it?"

"Yeah, Mr. Nick, did you?" a small voice piped up from his elbow. Pearl Fey bounced around Phoenix happily, parroting her cousin. She was very excited to see the dolphins and whales - Maya had been telling her tall tales about sea life all morning.

"All right, all right, don't double team me again," Phoenix said wearily, paying for tickets for all three of them. The girls cheered and grabbed their tickets from him, running ahead and entering the gate before him. He sighed and followed.

The park was deserted. It was only 9 AM after all. Maya and Pearl skipped toward the back of the park, which now featured an aquarium and a stadium for aquatic shows.

Phoenix let out a low whistle as they drew closer. The stadium was huge! The sign outside said that the show began at 9:30, so the trio entered and grabbed seats close to the front, much to Maya and Pearl's delight (and Phoenix's dismay). The arena was fairly empty, containing only a few families with younger children.

Suddenly, there was indiscernible yelling and splashing from the side of the stage. "What's going on, Mr. Nick?" Pearl asked curiously.

"Aw, Pearl, Nick doesn't know. He's too clueless," Maya told her cousin. "Let's go find out for ourselves!" Before Phoenix could protest, the two were off, running toward the noise. He stood and hurried after them, grumbling slightly.

"Veronika Buckler, you will be paying for this, mark my words!" a voice with a thick Russian accent yelled as Phoenix approached.

"I'm so sorry Miss Orly," another Russian voice replied, seemingly on the verge of tears. "I don't know how this could have happened!"

"Well, if you don't take care of this right now, this show will not go on!"

"But Miss Orly, Bandit and I are so excited for this show," the second voice squeaked.

"Excuse me!" Phoenix almost face palmed as Maya interrupted. "Can we do anything to help?"

"No, little girls. Please take your seats," the first voice said, sounding irritated.

Phoenix finally arrived on the scene. Two women were standing on the side of the stage, apparently deep in an argument. One was blonde with a bandana tied over her hair. She wore a business suit - black pants and a black vest. The other cowering by the pool had spiky red hair and was dressed in a pirate costume, complete with hat, fake mustache, and sword. In the pool behind the two women, an orca swam around, occasionally sticking its head out of the water to nudge the pirate's hand. It also had a hat, mustache, and a pink star painted on one side of its face, matching its owners. Phoenix idly wondered if that was an example of animal abuse as he stepped forward.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, taking Pearl's hand and grabbing Maya by the arm. "I'll take them back to the audience area."

"Yes, do that," the one in the business suit said dismissively. Then she took a second look at him. "Wait. Your badge. You are a cop?"

Phoenix adjusted his badge unconsciously. "No, I'm an attorney," he replied.

"Hmph, close enough," the woman said, raising an eyebrow. "I need to report a theft. Perhaps you can help me?"

"Well, that's not really my jurisdiction," the attorney answered uncomfortable, noting the other woman's terrified expression. "Why don't you explain what happened?"

"Well, when I arrived at work this morning, I noticed that the herring barrel was empty. Herring isn't cheap, you know, and the barrel is located right here, in front of Bandit's pool." The orca stuck its head out of the water and Phoenix could have sworn it was smiling. "There was no one here last night except Veronika, so it couldn't have been anyone else. She must have fed all the herring to that spoiled orca of hers. Or perhaps the orca stole it! It's name is Bandit, after all. What other proof do I need?"

Phoenix looked toward Veronika. "I didn't do it and neither did Bandit," she protested. "I honestly have no idea what happened, but I didn't take the herring. It's happened before while we've been training for the show, a few times, but I have no idea who's doing it. I've been paying for it out of my own pocket, but Miss Orly said this time, she's going to fire me and set Bandit loose in the ocean."

"I don't see how that's a bad thing," Phoenix said and Veronika sighed, looking uneasily at Miss Orly, who was checking her phone.

"Well, Bandit was born in captivity. I've been with her since she was a baby and I always make sure that she's treated really well. I'm the only one who handles her. But she's smaller than the normal orca at her age. I'm afraid if they let Bandit go, she'll never be accepted into a pod and…"

Phoenix nodded. He didn't know much about whales, but he knew enough to know that if a whale wasn't accepted into a pod, it was difficult to survive. He had to solve this mystery, not just for Veronika's sake, but for the whale's as well!

"So, who else has access to this pool?" he asked, taking a look around.

"Well, anyone has access to the pool, but only Miss Orly and I can unlock the gate to come up to the side of the stage where the herring bin is," Veronika answered.

Phoenix suddenly realized how quiet it was. Too quiet. "Maya? Pearl?"

He looked around, finally spotting the pair by an adjacent pool. They were marveling at the dolphins that were swimming around and doing tricks. He glanced at the gate separating the two pools. He assumed the dolphins would swim through it to be able to get to the main pool for the show.

"Veronika, would it be possible for dolphins to jump over that gate?" he asked curiously. It couldn't be, right?

Veronika looked at the gate appraisingly. "I suppose so. It's close enough to the edge that it might be possible." Phoenix thought for a second, then motioned her down and whispered a plan to her. She nodded and hurried toward the back of the platform and grabbed a chunk of ice with clearly visible herring inside.

"Hey!" Orly yelled angrily, noticing the woman's actions. "That's coming out of your paycheck, too!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Veronika said under her breath, jumping the fence to the ground next to Phoenix. "Miss Orly, please come down here. The attorney and I are testing a theory." After much grumbling, the other woman climbed down reluctantly. Maya and Pearl rejoined them, seemingly excited to have a celebrity so close to them.

As the group watched, two dolphins stuck their heads out of the water. One by one, they jumped the gate into Bandit's pool. The orca gave a distressed call as one dolphin leapt out of the water, easily opening the barrel with its nose. The other was waiting to knock over the barrel and cause the ice to fall into the water. They pushed the ice toward the gate, slipping it through a gap in the bottom. Finally, they jumped back over the gate and the scene was exactly how it looked before, except with a knocked-over empty barrel and a sad-looking whale.

"I-incredible," Orly murmured, watching the dolphins celebrate with their prize.

"I'm really impressed that you managed to figure that out, Nick," Maya said, her face still incredulous at the dolphins' feat.

"Always the tone of surprise," Phoenix replied.

"Thank you, Mr. Attorney, sir!" Veronika said happily, clasping his hand in her own. "You're a genius! You've saved my job, and you've also saved Bandit! What can I ever do to thank you?" Phoenix opened his mouth, about to tell her that no thanks was necessary, when her eyes lit up. "I know! I'm going to make this a show you'll never forget!"

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><p>15 minutes later, the show was about to start. "Isn't this exciting, Mr. Nick?" Pearl asked happily. The trio was sitting on chairs on the side of the stage, to ensure that they got the maximum splash.<p>

"Yeah…" Phoenix muttered, inwardly calculating dry cleaning costs in his head.

"Ahoy there, mateys!" Veronika's voice rang out. She suddenly burst out of Bandit's pool on the whale's back, causing a huge wave to splash all over Phoenix, Maya, and Pearl. The girls laughed, but Phoenix just moaned. "We be Cap'n Orla's Swashbucklers, me buckos! We love to sail the seven seas!" The show continued, a fast-paced and exciting pirate show, with lots of whale tricks and a special appearance by the "Dolphins of Doom." The crowd cheered at every trick and Veronika was smiling, clearly in her element. Even Bandit looked happy, Phoenix noticed and he couldn't help but smile slightly. It was nice to help people… and marine animals.

"Finally, we have tracked down the hideout of Cap'n Spikeyhair, and his two swabbies, Pretzel and Topknot!" Veronika proclaimed to the crowd, then turned and gave Phoenix a huge wink.

"Wh-what?" he squaked. "S-Spkeyhair?"

"He has stolen our treasure, Bandit," Veronika said, brandishing her cutlass in the group's direction. "For that he must pay."

"P-pay?!" Phoenix shrieked. He considered climbing over the fence, but it was too late.

"Look, there's the fiend now!" Veronika yelled, spurring Bandit on. "Bandit, use your Super-Special Whale Powers!"

Phoenix's yell of terror was cut off as teeth clenched the bottom of his pants and he was dragged into the water. For a minute the world was nothing but swirling blue, until a hand grabbed his collar and yanked him to the surface.

"We have you now, Cap'n Spikeyhair!" Veronika's eyes sparkled playfully. "What say you? Will you hand over the treasure that rightfully belongs to my Cap'n, or shall you have a swim in Davey Jones' locker?"

Phoenix spluttered for air. "I-I'll give it to you!" he said, his voice amplified by Veronika's mic.

"Smart choice!" the pirate said, flashing the audience a beaming smile, and the crowd cheered wildly. "Now I'm taking you to my captain. You'd better think of what you're going to say during parlay!" Veronika set him on the back of Bandit. "Hang on," she whispered.

"Hang on, wha-?" Phoenix began, then Bandit leapt into the air, with Phoenix barely managing to grab onto the whale's tail. The crowd laughed and cheered; the show was over.

* * *

><p>"Wow, Nick, that was so cool!" Maya exclaimed as Phoenix dried himself off.<p>

"Told ya it'd be a show you'd never forget!" Veronika said cheerfully, helping Pearl feed Bandit some herring and happily discussing her plans to begin integrating Bandit into the wild as soon as possible with anyone who would listen.

"I feel like something's missing, though," Maya said, looking critically at him. "Maybe it's just the hair."

Phoenix half-heartedly ran his hands over his lapels, trying to make himself look somewhat presentable. Then he noticed it.

"MY BADGE!"

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><p>"Mr. Wright. Losing your badge is one of the most irresponsible things an attorney can do."<p>

"Yes, sir."

"And how did you lose it?"

"Well, sir… I was being pulled by a whale, and it must have fallen off."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Wright, did you say… a whale?"

"Yes, sir. We drained the entire pool. But it was gone. An orca ate my badge."

"An orca… ate your badge."

"Yes, sir."

"Well, that settles it. I've heard some ridiculous bluffs from you, Mr. Wright, but this really takes the cake. This shows how irresponsible you truly are."

"But sir, my badge really was-"

"I don't want to hear any more excuses. From here on out, Mr. Wright, you are disbarred. Come back when you learn proper respect for the courtroom."

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><p>And just like that, my hearing came to an end. That night, I ran away from the courthouse and wandered the streets alone. I had become emo in a matter of minutes. I didn't go meet Maya for burgers, like I said I would. She was so angry, she never spoke to me again. And Pearl was so angry that I had "betrayed my special someone" that she never spoke to me again either.<p>

When they drained the pool that day, I was hoping for a miracle. But the "miracle" never happen. Maybe it was never meant to. Because a "miracle" is something that doesn't exist.

THE END.


End file.
